Car-coupling



W. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING. PPPPP cA'TIoN FILED MAY 28, 1919.

1,339,030. 7 Patented May 4, 192() @I 2 sssssssss EET 1. %M a I K v I w.KELSO.

CAR COUPLING.

APP L|CATION FILED MAY 28, !9I9.

1 339 030 Patented May 4, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llhlllTED PATTI. OFFICQ WILLIAM KELSO, O1 PITTSBURGH,

TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, SYL'VANIA.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASS-IGNOR TO THE MecoNwAv & PENNSYLVANIA, a CORPORATION orPENN- GAR-COUPLING.

i ,saaoso.

Application filed May 28, 1919.

others skilled in the art to which it apoer- 0 l tains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplers of specialadvantage in increasing the reliability and certainty oi operation ofthe form oi coupler known as the Master Car Builoers standard D coupler.hile the t'eatiinies of improved construction hereinafter described andclain'iod are especially adapted for embodiment in the i3 coupler andaccordingly have been illus trated in the drawings a. adapted to that s'iecilic type of coupler, it will be understood that the details oiconstructhm of the cou plcr parts, except as definitely included in theclaims. are not essential 'l eatures oi. the invention.

Under normal conditions the lock of the standard coupler when in lockedposition rests upon and is supported by a horizontally rotatable knuckleopening lever. In the absence of the knuckle opening lever, which mayoccur from various causes such as breakage, removal or loss, the lookassumes a lowered position permitting it to tilt forwardly and projectunder the portion of the front wall of the coupler head forming theupper border of the mouth or opening through the front face of saidhead. Vlhen in this position the lock is jammed and cannot be moved tounlocked position either by means oi the top-operating lock litter or bymeans of the underneath release rigging, if the latter form of lockactuating device he the one with which the coupler is equipped. Thisdefect in the D coupler is overcome in a practical and cfiicient mannerby my invention without the necessity of altering the knuckle openingdevice or decreasing its elliciency in actuating the coupler knuckle,and without impairing the strength of the lock or the coupler head.

in the drawings illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointedout in the claims, I

Figure l is view, partly in vertical sec- Specification of LettersPatent.

no r.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Serial No. 300,346.

tion and partly in elevation, of a car coupler embodying the invention,the parts being illustrated in. the locked positions occupied whentheknuckle-opener is present.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1,

int illustrating the locked relation of the 1. parts when theknuckle-opener is removed. Fig. is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, butillustrating the positions assumed by the parts when the knuckle-openerhas been actuated by the lock to cause the knuckle to be rotatedoutwardly to open position.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the coupler lock, showing therear face and knuckle engaging side thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lock showing the oppositeside from that illustrated in Fig. i.

in the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,the coupler head is indicated by the reference numeral 1, while 2 is theknuckle which is pivotally mounted on the coupler headby means of aknuckle pin (not shown) in the usual man Outward rotation of the knuckleis normally prevented by a lock 3 which, when in locked position, restsupon the shorter arm of the horizontally rotatable knuckleopener lever 4if the knuckle-opener be presout. The lock, which is adapted to move upwardly to unlock the knuckle and then to swing rearwardly so as to causethe knuckleopener at to rotate and throw the knuckle 2 open, is providedwith a head 5 that in locked position stands between the tail oi heknuckle and the inner guard arm wall of the coupler head 1, therebylocking the lmuckle in coupled relation. Upon the forward face oi thehead oi": the lock is a lug {3 which upon the lock being raised abovethepoint necessary to unlock the knuckle comes into Contact with androcks upon a fulcrum point or projection 7 formed on the interior of thecoupler head in vertical alineinent with the pivot lug 6. This rockingor rotation of the lock causes its downwardly extending leg 8 to pressagainst the adjacent arm oi the knuckle opening lever 4.- and rotate thelatter, thereby throwing the knuckle to open position. here the head 5is oined by the leg member 8 of the lock the head is offset to form ashoulder which rests on the knuckle opener when the head 5 is in lookingrelation with the tail of the knuckle, but when the knuckle-opener isabsent said shoulder rests upon a wall of the coupler and arrests thefurther downward move ment of the lock.

The head 5 of the lock is provided with an upwardly and rearwardlyopening slot 9 having grooves or channels 10 therein for the receptionof oppositely disposed. pintles 11 formed on the lower end of the locklifter 12. The upper end of the lifter, which is shown as of the topoperating form, is provided with an eye or aperture to receive a pin,link or other appropriate means 13 for connecting the lifter to thecoupler release rigging. At its lower end the lock is provided with slotor opening 1% which is adapted to permit the lock to be connected to abottom operating release rigging for lifting the coupler lock.

The head of the lock 3 is provided on the forward portion of its upperside with an upwardly extending projection or guardlug 15 which isadapted to have overlapping engagement with the interior face 16 of thecoupler head 1 above the mouth of the coupler. To accommodate thisprojection when the lock 8, upon being actuated by the lifter 12,performs the ext-ended unlocking movement required to rotate tl eknuckle-opening lever A and swing the knuckle 2 open, the upper wall ofthe coupler head 1, instead of being cut away, is preferably providedadjacent the opening 17 for the lock lifter 12 with a recess or socket18 into which, as shown in Fig. 3, the said projection 15 is adapted toextend.

T 0 allow the lock 3 having the projection 15 thereon to be readilybrought to proper assembled position within the coupler head 1 the upperportion of the head of the lock, between the lock lifter slot 9 thereinand the knuckle engaging face thereof, is beveled or inclinedrearwardly, as at 19; and for a similar reason the lower portion of theleg 8 of the lock is preferably formed with a beveled face 20 on theside nearer the guard arm of the coupler head. While the clearanceafforded by the beveled faces 19 and 20 allows the lock to be easilyassembled with the other parts of the mechanism, the positions of thesefaces are such that the strength of the lock is substantially unimpairedand its customary principal dimensions need not be altered When theknuckle opener 4: is absent from the coupler mechanism the lockedpositions of the parts will be as illustrated in F 2, the projection orguard-lug 15 of t ie lock 3 being in overlapping engagement with theinterior face 16 of the couper head and thereby preventing the head 5 ofthe look from tilting forwardly through the mouth of the coupler headinto a position preventing it from being subsequently moved to unlockedposition by means of the lock lifting device.

I claim: 7 v

1. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a look, a knuckle openingdevice, said lock being insertible and removable through the mouth inthe head through which the tail of the knuckle enters and said lookbeing provided with a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckleopener and a wall of the coupler-head below the knuckle opener tothereby support the lock in knuckle locking position, and upwardlyextending means carried by said lock for maintaining the operativerelation of said lock and head when said knuckle opening device isabsent, said means being adapted to prevent the upper end of said lookfrom tilting forwardly.

2. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a look, and a knuckle openinglever, said lock being insertible and removable through the mouth in thehead through which the. tail of the knuckle enters, said lock beingprovided with a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle-openerand the bottom wall of the coupler-head to thereby support the lock inknuckle locking posi-- tion, and being provided at the forward portionof its upper end with a projection adapted to engage said coupler headand prevent the look from tilting forwardly and assuming an inoperativeposition in said coupler head when said lever is absent.

3. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a lock, and a knuckle openinglever, said lock being provided with a head for engaging and lockingsaid knuckle, a leg adapted to engage and actuate said knuckle openinglever and a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle opener andthe bottom wall of the coupler-head, and being supported by said leverwhen said parts are in red position, and also being provided at itsupper end with a projection adapted to engage said coupler head andprevent the look from tilting forwardly and assuming an inoperativeposition in said coupler head when said lever is absent.

4. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a look, a knuckle openingdevice, said lock being insertible and removable through the mouth inthe head through which the tail of the knuckle enters and being providedwith a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle-opener and thebottom wall of the coupler-head when said parts are in locked position,and means carried by said lock for maintaining the operative relation ofsaid lock and head when said knuckle opening means is absent, said meansbeing adapted to prevent the upper end of said look from tiltingforwardly, and the upper portion of said coupler head being providedwith a recess adapted to receive said means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

WILLIAM KE SO.

